Kathy Griffin wants someone to walk out

Friday

Apr 19, 2013 at 2:00 AM

Nothing's off-limits for comedian Kathy Griffin, not even her 92-year-old mother, whom she credits with honing her cocktail-mixing skills at an early age. Family, politics, famous people or places — all are at equal risk of supplying ammunition to her rapid-fire brand of humor.

Deborah J. Botti

Nothing's off-limits for comedian Kathy Griffin, not even her 92-year-old mother, whom she credits with honing her cocktail-mixing skills at an early age. Family, politics, famous people or places — all are at equal risk of supplying ammunition to her rapid-fire brand of humor.

Even Kingston could come under attack when she appears at the Ulster Performing Arts Center on Sunday as part of the Serious Laughs: Art/Politics/Humor festival.

"I don't feel I've done my job until I have a walk-out," she says. "I'm expecting that someone might wander into my Kingston show unaware that I curse ... I like to shake things up."

And she says she mulls over material up until almost the last minute, so she has no idea for certain what might come out of her mouth on Sunday.

Griffin says she first realized the power of words that prompt laughter as a kid in Catholic school.

"I was the skinny, freckly kid who was picked on so much by the bullies. I couldn't fight, and no one would stick up for me. Even the nuns didn't do anything as the girls kicked my (butt," she says. "But it was gratifying to see what a snarky comment could do."

School was also the springboard into her supportive role in the LGBTQ community. ("Let me know if they've added another letter," she quips.)

"My one and only high-school boyfriend was Tom Murphy. ... Now when I play Orlando, I go visit him and his husband.

"I've always been drawn to people who struggle ... minorities, women," she says. "The gay community and I are in tune with each other."

Griffin's success as a comedian began after she moved from native Chicago to Los Angeles. She joined an improvisational troupe, which led to appearances on TV sitcoms. In 2005, Bravo began airing "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List," along with several comedy specials. Her accolades include two Emmys, five Grammy nominations and a spot on The New York Times best-seller list for her tell-all autobiography. Her talk show, "Kathy," which also aired on Bravo, has just been canceled after two seasons.

"I loved that show so much. It was a triumph for me after all these years of stand-up," she says, spewing out a laundry list of famous names from Lily Tomlin to Josh Groban who have found themselves in the guest seat. "I'm 52 now, and the celebrities are finally getting that it's a joke, (just like inspirations) Don Rickles and Joan Rivers said they would."

She's already taping her next Bravo special and working on new and of-the-moment material, planning on two new shows per year.

"My style is out there," she says. "But you just gotta laugh ... what else are you going to do?"